One of these days I hope all of you can find your hell for making Christians the bad guys. Your crap is worthless, but works because of our Constitution. And I served to protect your crap. I just wish I could select who I served for—-you and your ilk would be stricken from the list.

(name and e mail address withheld)

Dear (name withheld),

The MRFF thanks you for your service to our Republic, and for your letter sharing your concerns.

Mr. Weinstein does his level best to answer as much correspondence personally as he can, but his time is limited by his heavy schedule, so he asked me to respond.
My name is Jim Taylor, a volunteer for the MRFF. Like you, and like most MRFF staff and supporters, I am also a veteran (USMC, with close personal ground combat experience.) As with many MRFF members and supporters, I come from a family with a long history of US military service dating back to the Revolutionary War.

The MRFF staff and membership includes many active, reserve, and retired members from all branches of the US Armed Forces, holding ranks ranging from private through flag officer, and military specialties ranging from support to combat arms, whose service eras span over 60 years and includes WW II, Korea, and Viet Nam, on through Gulf I to the present GWOT, and the smaller actions between.

Members’ medals and decorations include the Purple Heart for wounds received in action, and awards for valor from the Bronze Star w/ V and the Silver Star, through the Army, Navy, and AF Crosses, and the Medal of Honor.

The MRFF’s staff is composed of approximately 75% Christians, mainly Protestants (including some evangelicals) followed by Catholics (Roman and Eastern Orthodox), 15% Jews, and 10% all others, including free-thinkers.

Mr. Weinstein is also a veteran. An Honor Graduate of the USAF Academy, he spent a decade as an AF JAG officer, during which time he served as a counsel in the Reagan White House. He also comes from a family with a long and meritorious service to the Republic. Mr. Weinstein is an observant Jew, and his own family circle of blended faiths includes observant Christians, like his daughter-in-law and nephew, who are also strong supporters of the MRFF. (For Mr. Weinstein’s full biography, please see: http://www.militaryreligiousfreedom.org/about/michael-l-mikey-weinstein )

The MRFF was established to protect religious freedom for all service personnel. (See below for details.)

As most of us are or were servicemen and women ourselves, we all took the same oath you did (“to uphold and defend the constitution against all enemies foreign and domestic.”), and we all meant it. We still do.

I append below some material that I have compiled which I hope will help you to better understand what we do and why. I hope you will take the time to read it carefully, as
it is of importance not just to real Christians, but to Americans who care about our Republic.

The MRFF supports the Constitutionally and legally mandated requirement that there will be no established religion (i.e. no official state religion), and no religious test for office, as clearly intended by the Founders both in their words and documents.

“. . . no religious test shall ever be required as a qualification to any office or public trust under the United States.” (Article VI, Section III)

“Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof . . .” (1st Amendment)

The MRFF is committed to ensuring that the boundary between church and state is maintained, and that the Constitutional rights to freedom of conscience for all Americans (particularly our servicemen and women) are not violated, and that they are not subjected to unwanted proselytization by any religious group whatsoever.

MRFF’s Position on Faith

Neither Mr. Weinstein nor the MRFF are “for” or “against” Christianity, Islam, Judaism, or any other religion. On the contrary, as the name implies, the MRFF supports religious freedom and pluralism for service personnel of all faiths (or those with none), in accordance with the US Constitution and public law. Its founder, members, and supporters include people of many different faiths and belief systems, as well as free-thinkers and skeptics.

Religious faith (or lack thereof) is completely irrelevant in terms of MRFF membership and positions on issues Like the US itself, we are not based on any religion or belief system, though (again like the US), people of many different faiths and beliefs belong to the MRFF. We, however, are strictly secular, and as noted above, defend US service personnel against violations of their Constitutional rights to freedom of conscience. Thus all religions and belief systems are equal – as long as they are not in violation of the Constitution, and as long as they are not violating the rights of other citizens – particularly service personnel.

Who We Represent, and Why

ALL MRFF cases are filed because of complaints brought by active duty or reserve service personnel.

Currently, 96% of the over 20,000 MRFF cases are brought on behalf of professing Christians, (mainly Protestants), followed by Catholics (including Roman and Eastern Orthodox).

The 4% balance of our cases includes Jews, Muslims, Hindus, and Sikhs, as well as Pagans, a few atheists, agnostics, and other free-thinkers.

In the case of the Vandenberg incident, the complainants were not “several” officers, but 31 USAF commissioned officers, 29 of whom are Christians (Protestant and Catholic).

To us this many complainants indicated a serious problem, but even one complaint would have been sufficient to take action in our view.

Who We Oppose and Why

While the MRFF was established to support religious freedom for all service personnel, and would oppose any group or religion that attempted to infringe on that right, the great preponderance of our cases (as at Vandenberg) involve abuses of authority and violations of the Constitutional guarantees of freedom of conscience by a specific sub-set of aggressive radical extremists who call themselves “Christians” but in truth are anything but Christian in the historic sense of that term. They are becoming increasingly entrenched and powerful in the military in all branches and MOSs at ranks up to and including flag officer ranks. They are known by a number of names, but we use the generic term of one of the main branches (“Dominionists”), for convenience.

In violation of the Constitution, public law, and the Uniform Code of Military Justice, they aggressively seek converts – but failing persuasion, they harass, bully, and attempt to intimidate under color of authority service members under their command or control, in order to attempt to proselytize even service members who have expressed their unwillingness.

When in command positions, they use tactics ranging from denying choice assignments and promotions to those they don’t consider Christian or “Christian enough” to giving poor performance reviews, and difficult, dirty, and dangerous tasks – including potentially deadly tasks in combat. (One of our clients was assigned as “permanent point” in a combat unit!)

They have advocated in both words and writing the overthrow of the Republic and Constitution (by ballot if possible, but by bullet if necessary), and replacing them with an Old Testament style theocracy, complete with “Biblical” Sharia-like laws, complete with public executions by stoning, sword, or other “Biblical” methods, with mandatory attendance and participation by the whole community – including children.

Anyone not considered not “Christian enough” by these people if they gain power will be forced to either convert to or accept their warped version of Christianity – or die. They have been correctly described as “American Taliban.”

Some people might consider this some sort of tin-hat conspiracy theory, or that they are just far-right fringe loonies without a hope of acheiving power, but these people have been operating “under the radar” for years, and are now firmly entrenched in every branch and MOS of our armed forces and government, at every level – and are getting bolder by the day.

Let’s examine the words of those who founded the movement, such as the late Rousas John Rushdoony who wrote that they intend to “…lead them (non-believers) to Jesus – in chains, if necessary.”

Rushdoony also wrote that democracy is “heresy” and that Christians must remember that “a monarchy (referring to “God’s kingdom on earth”) is not a democracy.” (No doubt with Rushdoony and friends as the privileged leaders of the “monarchy” while awaiting God’s arrival…)

Rushdoony also wrote that “Democracy is the great love of the failures and cowards of life.” (I’m sure both the ancient Athenians and early Romans, as well as our own Founders, would have been interested to learn that.)

Rushdoony listed eighteen capital “crimes” including blasphemy, witchcraft, astrology, adultery, incorrigible delinquency, homosexuality, promiscuity or unchastity before marriage, wearing a red dress (for women – though one must suppose these people would apply it to men too), and failure to keep a Kosher kitchen.

Punishment for non-capital crimes would include whipping and indentured servitude or slavery (including for debt), and prisons would become temporary holding tanks while prisoners awaited sentencing. Women and children would again become chattel property of men.

Rushdoony and other Dominionists have been aptly described elsewhere as “the American Taliban.” This is true in more ways than just their morbid interest in cruel and unusual punishment. They are extremely retrogressive socially and politically, and share many more beliefs in common with the Islamic fundamentalists than they do with the average American.

Perhaps one reason they hate the Islamist fascists is that they have so much in common with them — battles between kindred are always the worst. One can only hope that they never recognize their true kinship, lest they join forces in a truly unholy alliance.

Rushdoony’s Chalcedon Foundation also helped establish The Rutherford Institute, a legal organization to promote their agenda through the very courts they plan to supersede once in power, so although Rushdoony died, his organization and legacy of theocracy lives on.

Gary North, Rushdoony’s son-in-law, espouses (publicly) a slightly less draconian version, stating, “I don’t want to kill homosexuals–I would be happy just driving them back into the closet.” However, he also espouses stoning for blasphemers and those who curse their parents, and has stated that public stoning of “malefactors” would be “a great way to bring communities together.”

A stunning example of their theology (and ultimate plans for everyone not of their belief) is the statement of US Army chaplain MAJ James Linzey, who, in a 1999 video, described mainstream Protestant churches as “demonic, dastardly creatures from the pit of hell ” that should be “stomped out.”

The Council of Full Gospel Churches (Linzey’s accrediting agency founded by retired Army COL Ammerman) not only didn’t pull his accreditation, but supported this egregious violation of his mission and orders as a military chaplain, and of his oath as an officer.(Of course, Ammerman is as bad or worse.)

The CFGC, COL Ammerman, MAJ Linzey, and their cohorts have also denigrated Judaism and Catholicism, as well as mainstream Protestant churches.

COL Ammerman and MAJ Linzey have also spread conspiracy theories about “Satanic forces” in the U.S. government for years aiding a military takeover aided by unnamed “foreign” (presumably UN) troops.

In 2008, COL Ammerman said that four presidential candidates (US Senators Obama, Clinton, Biden and Dodd) should be hanged for treason – for not voting to designate English as America’s official language. He also stated that President Obama would be assassinated as a “secret Muslim.” (In the late 1990s, he had also called for the execution of then-president Clinton for treason.)

CFGC and its chaplains have repeatedly and egregiously violated the Constitution and the laws and regulations regarding chaplaincies, including those on interfaith cooperation, bans on membership in organizations with religious or racial supremacist principles, especially those espousing violence, and that active military personnel cannot make disloyal or contemptuous statements about officials.

Some very prominent clergymen belong to this movement. Pat Robertson also wants to establish a theocracy. Read his book “The Secret Kingdom.” and see for yourself.

This problem, as stated, is very wide-spread and deeply entrenched, not only in the military but in many areas of government and indeed, other nations.

These people are very clever, subtle, well-organized, and well-funded. They are gaining ground in many areas – including the military and the Service Academies.

These people are our main opponents, and regular violators of the very Constitution which guarantees them freedom of religion and pluralism, which they call upon to defend themselves as they attack and undermine the very principles which allow them to exist and operate.

While we accept their right to believe as they please, within the framework of the Constitution and public law, we balk at allowing them to proselytize unwilling service personnel under their command “under color of authority” and to undermine and work to destroy the Constitution that many of our members (most of whom are former or serving members of the US Armed Forces), swore to “uphold and defend.”

The Dominionists and their allied sects are committing egregious assaults on the Constitution and on the rights of servicemen and women daily. We expose to the clear light of day their violations, as well as those of any other individuals or groups who attempt the same. Unfortunately, this group constitutes the bulk of the complaints we receive.

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About MRFF

About MRFF: The Military Religious Freedom Foundation is the sole nonprofit civil rights organization dedicated to ensuring that all members of the United States Armed Forces fully receive the Constitutional guarantee of both freedom of religion and freedom from religion, to which they and all Americans are entitled. Fighting for our servicemembers' rights, so they can fight for ours.